The wife of Charlie Kirk is leaning into her Christian faith after her husband’s assassination, with family members struggling to tell their children of his death, according to one insider.
Kirk was shot in the neck while speaking in Utah on Wednesday, leaving behind his wife Erika and their two kids, a three-year-old daughter and a 16-month-old son.
Jack Posobiec, a contributor to Kirk’s Turning Point USA organization, spoke with NewsNation on Thursday morning about his family and how they are coping.
He told the outlet: ‘Erika is unbelievably strong. At the same time someone’s going to have to explain to his son and daughter why their dad didn’t come home yesterday.
‘Erika is a prayer warrior, her and Charlie are very devout believers, they are very very deeply Christian.
‘When you see the cameras turn off, the lights go down, they immediately go back to faith – this is something they live 24/7.
‘It is not something that only exists in front of the camera, that is something that they absolutely walk every single day.
‘Because they have that firm reliance in faith, [Erika] has that ability to be able to go through this with that kind of strength that really only comes from heaven.’
In an update on Thursday morning, Beau Mason, commissioner of the Utah Department of Public Safety, said Erika and the family are ‘devastated’.
The couple had recently celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary in May.
According to social media posts by Mrs Kirk, the two had wed in May of 2021 in what she described as a ‘very intimate’ ceremony in Arizona.
The two went without bridesmaids or groomsmen, and Mrs Kirk also said she did not have a bachelorette party.
A post from February of last year said: ‘If you’re newly engaged and feeling the rush and pressure of preparing for the “big day”…
‘Slow down. It’s one day; yes, it marks a new chapter of life. Yes, it symbolizes a special covenant between you, your husband and the Lord.
‘But remember it’s the days afterward that matter more. Reframe your mindset.’
She continued: ‘Don’t stress over the flowers or linens. Weddings turn people crazy and can bring out unnecessary family drama; let it go.’
Erika had claimed the title of Miss Arizona USA in 2012 and in an interview after the pageant win described her upbringing in a tight-knit Catholic family.
She had attended Arizona State University and double majored in political science and international relations.
More recently she has launched her own ministry program, BIBLEin365, which according to her website ‘seeks to help individuals engage with scriptures’.
Her biography reads: ‘Above all, Erika cherishes her role as the wife of Charlie Kirk and the mother of their precious son and daughter.
She had attended Arizona State University and double majored in political science and international relations.
More recently she has launched her own ministry program, BIBLEin365, which according to her website ‘seeks to help individuals engage with scriptures’.
Her biography reads: ‘Above all, Erika cherishes her role as the wife of Charlie Kirk and the mother of their precious son and daughter.